When a billionaire music mogul chooses to push the “self-destruct” button on the empire he spent 20 years building, it’s impossible not to take notice. And to wonder why.
Such is the story of Kanye West, who has been at the center of intense controversy over his public promotion of antisemitic views.
In a matter of several weeks, Kanye (who legally changed his name to “Ye” in 2021) has torpedoed his net worth to the tune of an estimated $1.6 billion after many business partners canceled his lucrative deals in protest. Fashion brand Balenciaga and shoemaker Adidas backed out of their agreements with him, an upcoming documentary was shelved, and several high-profile athletes left his agency, Donda Sports.
This downward spiral has prompted Kanye’s friends, fellow celebrities, and even his ex-wife, Kim Kardashian, to issue public pleas calling for him to apologize and rethink his views. But so far, he hasn’t budged.
Neither is Kanye alone in this controversy. Other celebrities – like NBA star Kyrie Irving – have been under intense criticism for their involvement as well.
So, what’s going on? What are the roots of these beliefs? And why are people like Kanye and Kyrie willing to risk their careers and reputations by espousing them? This guide will attempt to get to the bottom of these questions and shed some light on the troubling controversy ripping across the sports and entertainment world.
Kanye’s Reputation Heads South
Kanye West is no stranger to controversy, and has made a bit of a habit of speaking his mind on touchy subjects. There was the infamous 2009 VMA awards show when he grabbed the mic from Taylor Swift mid-acceptance speech to say she didn’t deserve the award:
More recently, Kanye caught some serious flak for an interview in which he said, “slavery was a choice.”
But if those previous incidents were dust devils, this current one is an F5 tornado. It began with a tweet on October 8th, when Kanye said he was “going death con 3 on Jewish people.”
The public reaction was swift, and damning. His Twitter and Instagram accounts were restricted, and activists and fellow celebrities alike condemned the message. When Kanye refused to apologize, his music and fashion empire quickly came crashing down. He has even doubled down on these antisemitic remarks, blaming “Jewish business people” for his troubles.
It has since been reported that Kanye paid a settlement as part of a lawsuit involving numerous former employees who accused him of spreading antisemitic messages and praising Adolf Hitler as far back as 2018.
Kyrie Irving Joins the Fray
Now here’s where things get interesting, because these are not simply the mad rantings of a once-revered icon. Joining Kanye in this most unappealing spotlight is star NBA point guard Kyrie Irving, who in recent weeks has also come under fire for promoting similar antisemitic beliefs.
This points to something deeper at play – an insidious web of conspiracies that have gained traction in certain circles.
Irving used his Twitter account to promote a movie and book titled “Hebrews to Negroes” that is full of antisemitic tropes. The nature of this content is disturbing, as ESPN writer Pablo Torre points out:
Like Kanye, when confronted about the damaging nature of his actions, Irving has also refused to apologize – drawing widespread condemnation from the sports media world, including former NBA greats Reggie Miller, Shaquille O’Neal, and Charles Barkley.
Irving responded with a tweet saying that he "meant no disrespect to anyone's religious beliefs" and said the antisemitic label is "not justified."
Amid continued pressure, Irving, the Brooklyn Nets (his team), and the Anti-Defamation League also issued a joint statement announcing a $500,000 donation to charitable causes working to combat intolerance.
Notably, however, these statements have lacked a straightforward apology from Irving – a fact that was not lost on many critics, who continue to call for a more forceful response. It remains to be seen what, if any, discipline the NBA might hand down.
Searching for a Motive
Regardless of the outcome, it’s a shocking and head-scratching controversy. Following in the footsteps of a generational musical talent, it would seem a generational basketball talent is also willing to risk throwing his career away by promoting antisemitism.
This begs a few questions: what is the significance of these hateful messages? Where do they stem from? And why did an NBA star feel it was important to share such ideas with his millions of followers?
Understanding Irving’s role in this controversy – and the origins of the specific messages he and Kanye West are choosing to promote – requires turning the microscope on a group known as the Black Israelites.
Indeed, many of the talking points they are repeating can be traced back to this group.
Who Are the Black Israelites?
Also known as the Hebrew Israelites and Black Hebrews, among other variations, the Black Israelites are part of a relatively obscure and fractured religious movement.
Although different groups and chapters exist, each with their own specific ideologies, all are united by a common belief: that African Americans and other minority groups are the true descendants of the ancient Israelites.
As a result of this conviction, Black Israelites commonly view white Jewish people as imposters. This hate toward white Jewish people is reflected in the movement’s rhetoric, literature, and promotional materials – often coupled with citations from the Bible they say are evidence of their claims.
They preach that Black people have been “robbed of their identity as ‘God’s chosen people,’” and view white Jews’ economic successes in areas like business, media, and entertainment as unjust, unearned, and even “stolen” from the “rightful” Jews.
The Black Israelites have been labeled a hate group by the Southern Poverty Law Center, and are known to use homophobic and racial slurs during public demonstrations in which they demand their heritage be recognized.
As you might have guessed, the documentary that Kyrie Irving promoted was produced by members of the Black Israelites and featured many of the group's notorious antisemitic claims.
Although Kanye West hasn’t quoted any of these materials directly, the rhetoric he has espoused is right in line with Black Israelite ideology – leading many to believe he has been similarly influenced.
Where Do Things Go From Here?
It’s certainly disturbing to see two cultural icons not just harbor, but publicly promote, hateful convictions about another ethnic group – particularly one as historically persecuted as the Jewish people.
Kanye West and Kyrie Irving have spoken their minds on the subject, and so far, have refused to apologize. Now they’re facing the consequences.
Whether they decide to change their ways (and the impact of their endorsing of antisemitic views) is yet to be seen.
What is your reaction?
Update 11/4/22: The Brooklyn Nets suspended Kyrie Irving for a minimum of 5 games, citing his failure to properly apologize for the hurt he caused.
Last night, Irving posted a longer apology on his Instagram account, writing: “To All Jewish families and Communities that are hurt and affected from my post, I am deeply sorry to have caused you pain, and I apologize,” Irving wrote. “I initially reacted out of emotion to being unjustly labeled Anti-Semitic, instead of focusing on the healing process of my Jewish Brothers and Sisters that were hurt from the hateful remarks made in the Documentary."
58 comments
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Darrick Emanuel Adams
We need to be better listeners instead of horrible judges -- no one, and I mean NO ONE has "sincerely" apologized for the Transatlantic Slave Trade where dark skinned humans were trafficked across the seas to be sold in other continents such as america. Hatred can never be hidden, only illuminated by our failure to demand equal restitution for those whose Ancestors landed on the American shores only to be treated inhumane by being locked in chains like an animal,brutally beaten and hung from trees and bridges -- stacked in boats to be sold like property on auction blocks -- forced to pick cotton all day with little to no pay -- I ask you who claim to be of God, who is responsible for paying for this holocaust? Who is brave enough to take a stand like Jesus and confess this sin?
Did it ever cross your mind to think that Kanye is just sick and tired of pretending that the Transatlantic Slave Trade never took place, and maybe the only way to get the world's attention, would be to do the most offensive act known to the non dark man? If "the tables were turned", do you think non dark people would then be Kanye?
When we know better, we're expected to do better. Who is going to pay the dark families in America for the Nazi treatment they have received? Who killed Jesus?
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Stephen Mohlaloga Makgoathane
If this slavery indeed was a choice, according to you my friend, my question to you Kanye is" Do you think there is any person/ anybody in his/ her normal mind will choose to be enslaved? STEPHEN MAKGOATHANE ( S.A)
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Ethan Allen Shelton
Yes Transatlantic slave trade did exist and most of the ship captains and crew never even left the ship. That means someone brought the newly enslaved to them. It should also be noted there are still 94 countries with no anti slave laws. Chad, Mauritania, Niger, Mali, and Sudan, all African countries still actively engages in slavery.
The west was the first to abolish slavery with the US leading the way
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Brother Minister Cyber-El
Great Britain abolished slavery in 1833 whereas the USA waited until 1865, nearly 32 years later!
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P. Keith Benefiel
The Italians.
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Pastor George Day
P. Keith Benefiel, what about them?
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Colleen McAllister
Darrick Emanuel Adams nobody killed Jesus. He gave His life for us.
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Lionheart
Colleen, you have to be able to back up your claims when you make hard statements like the one you did.
A better statement for you might be: “I have taken upon myself the belief that Jesus gave his life for us, even though I have no demonstrable evidence to support that view”.
Thank you for your comment.
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Colleen McAllister
Lionheart Do not tell me what I should have said. I know what I said. I meant what I said. If you read and understood the Bible then you would also know that.
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Lionheart
Read it, understood it, and that’s why I don’t believe in it, Colleen.
A woman being created from a man’s rib almost had me fooled. Reading about Unicorns, a god killing first born children, and approving of slavery, kinda sealed it for me.
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William Sadler
What got me in the OT was the "jealous god" Darth Vadar and his Storm Trooper "angels" whomping the bejesus out of non-circumsised males who ate risen bread on Saturdays.
I'm with JM Allegro and the fun-guy fertility cult theory. It stands up with the reality of shamanism as ubiquitous to humanity as matrifocalism. Elaine Morgan's aquatic ape evolutionary theory holds up well with this psychedelic analysis. The recent identification of piylicybin mushrooms on all but the 2 Arctic continents (North has Amanita muscaria and pantherina) has all but sealed the deal for me.
Interestingly, big hairy human-like primates are in those same places, AND referred to in biblical and Sumerian texts. Isn't this thread more fun than arguing about anti-semitism. Besides, who's gonna like the neighbors who tell you everything you do and believe is wrong 'cause their invisible "go YHVH" says so? And, "boys, you gotta cut the tip offn' yo' dick to git in my temple!"? Hmmmmm....
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Lionheart
Thank you, William. You’re too funny, but well said.
I always knew there was something really odd about the circumcision thing when God decided that other primates could keep their foreskin, but not us. What’s up with that? 🤣
Fortunately, for me, my mother didn’t agree with God and decided I should keep everything I was born with. I made the same decision for my son.
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Nicholas J Page
There is no place in this world for antisemitism or any other hatred towards other cultures.Ye or Kanye needs to be sectioned for discrimination.We are all children of the Universe.
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Krystina S.
Bigotry should be called out, no matter its guise. People who are racists against people of color and people who are bigots against those of minority faiths/ancestry/culture (because Judaism can be one or all of those) should always be called out. We should NOT let "stars" get away with this hateful and distorted rhetoric. They need to be called out and they need NOT to be able to financially profit or amplify this garbage using their huge media presence. Shame on them for their obsession with attention. Shame on those who give them a pass.
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Geoffrey C. Olive
I’m quite willing to apologise for the slave trade as a dual nationality Brit/USA citizen. Great Britain abolished slavery in 1833 whereas the USA waited until 1865, nearly 32 years later! Jim Crow laws continued until the 1960s!
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Paul Edward Nunis
Pretended to abolish, whereas Americans died to abolish it. The British legally defined non-caucasians as non-people until the latter part of the 20th century.
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Paul Edward Nunis
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Paul Edward Nunis
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Daniel Gray
Why should I care? I have more then enough to deal with without taking on this.
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Rev. Carol M Anaski-Figurski
we are all the same when we knee down at the cross.
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Warren Calvin Wall
It's funny how 2 people can be ostracized for standing by their convictions and beliefs. It also shows the power of the Jews to cancel anyone that counters their beliefs. It all is thrown in the face of the 1st Amendment. I thought that this is a religious tolerance organization.
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Geoffrey C. Olive
I find it very strange and hypocritical that people who have been major recipients of racism for a long time are now doing what they have accused others of doing!👎
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Paul Edward Nunis
With the added twist that the achievements in the Civil Rights strugglle were aided in no small part by activism on the part of Jewish people.
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Rev'd Andrew
Are you referring to the apartheid policies of the Israelis against the Palestinians?
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Angela Guyton-Cyril
We are not the judges of people only God is, but we have decided to take that job for ourselves. To say that the Holocaust did not happen is to say that Lynchings did not happen. As a people we have suffered and we will continue to suffer because we have not yet learned to love ourselves or our fellow human. Think about that
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Mark Faulkner
Black Jews against White Jews; Jews against Palestinians; Christians against Muslims; Evangelicals against the world…which is mostly BIPOC
The myriad forms of hate, racism, bigotry and self centrism showing itself like the light of 1000 suns within “Gods People” tells me one thing….. the Devil is in the details.
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Pastor George Day
Mark Faulkner, Evangelicals are the good ones! :-)
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Rev Mark D
Mark it tells me that evolution perfuses all, and us against them tribalism to the death and paranoia is the primary evolutionary mechanism. So really they can't help it and I have no self-determination or ability to really understand what they're doing. Realizing the truth is on a higher order than they are capable of. As I said before, you have to consider the source with all of these people.
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Charles O'Connor
I am of irish descent. Many times I was called : LEPRECHAUN, MICK and NARROWBACK. I FEEL THAT SHOULD BE ANTI- CELTIC! It is about time the people Of the Jewish faith,move to the 21st Century. No other Nationality harps About it. Grow up and move on.
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Melvin Merle Glass
It was wrong for you to be called names because you were Irish. Imagine if 6 million Irish people were murdered because they were Irish. How quickly would you be to "Grow up and move on"?
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Pastor George Day
Melvin Merle Glass, how about homosexuals and Jehovah's Witnesses?
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Rev'd Andrew
Melvin, it seems you haven't learned of the Irish famine which, between 1845 and 1851 killed approximately 1 million people in Ireland and caused another million to emigrate, causing Ireland to lose 1/4 of its population. Irish immigrants received horrible treatment most places they went, and were considered to be second-class citizens at best. In antebellum Anglo-America, for example, Irish were depicted as apes and beasts, and this fed anti-Irish sentiment well into the twentieth century. None of this is to minimize the holocaust, or to claim that antisemitism doesn't exist, but rather to give some context: discrimination, dehumanization, and hate is not exclusively experienced by Jewish people. Most non-Anglos around the world have experienced all three.
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Vicki
Wow, I have a big problem when people talk about "Jews" or "Blacks" as though they were homogeneous groups that act with one voice. There are people of all races and religions who have done great things to advance justice and civilization, and there are also those of all races and religions who take advantage of others or profess hurtful ideas.
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Rev Mark D
Vicky, all I can say is you have to consider the source.
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Bishop William Dusenberry, DD
Angela (above) is correct. “Only God..can Judge” which means, because God and nature are one and the same thing — that only nature can judge us.
And whenever humans think that they know more than nature— nature always is on the winning side.
Nature always does whatever nature does — due to the fact of evolution— which is based on “might makes right” which is accurate— whether our particular tribe wins, or not.
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Shelly Johnson
Most of think he has mentsl issues. Stop supporting him. Don't listen to his stupid ideas and don't buy his product. He's a thug and he needs help.
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Rev Mark D
Kanye, or yay, or whatever shuck and jive he's doing to get through everyday where, like Michael jackson, he doesn't know who he is and doesn't like people knowing who he is, is one righteous fool praising Hitler when Hitler wanted blacks exterminated for the same reason he wanted Jews exterminated. Duh.
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Warren president Barconia
I will not judge neither parties ! I’m not in either position in life nor do I no about what’s really going on at the top ! For sure they do ! I fear if it is something going on with a certain group of people that America fix it threw the blood of Jesus and bless all who have been slaved and mistreated in this cold cold world I pray for the both of them and the Jewish community to get threw this and restore our love and our confidence in our people love you all and pray
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William Sadler
The number of spellin' errors and grammaticle mystakes makes it heard to uderstand.
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Paul Phillip Miller
Here is an out of fashion idea: "I defend your right to free speech, Even though I abhor your views." What happened to that quaint notion?
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Charles O'Connor
WHY IS IT,YOU CAN CRITI ANY ONE,BUT THE JEWS? I STAND BY MY WEST. WHEN IT COMES TO THE JEWS FREE SPEACH IS NOT FREE. I DO NOT WISH HARM TO JEWISH PEOPLE. BUT THE ENGLISH MAY HAVE KILLED AS MANY OF MY IRISH ANSESTOERS IF NOT MORE. WHO CONDEMS THE BRITTISH, FOR THE IRISH HOLOCOST? IF I AM WRONG CORRECT ME.
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Peter Senderowitz
1- Some Jewish people " dominate " certain slots in the economy because when they came from Europe at the end of the 19th century, the wealthy Anglo-Saxons who began forming monopolies did not allow Jews entry into investing in heavy industry, financial institutions and certain types of construction. So business- minded Jews went into areas like entertainment, clothing manufacturing , the liberal professions like doctoring. a) so, Jews do not have special genes for business or any inherent superintelligence- no more so than any other ethnic groups ; 2- Kylie Irving did not promote the book and film in questions, but made only vague statements about their contents being of interest and worth reading. Thus, a) Irving, like many sports people, actors and media people ,who are way overly paid and believe that their fame allows them to run at the mouth publicly, often make ill- informed and silly pronouncements. Don't quit your day jobs, boys and girls!
Minister Peter Senderowitz
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Rasool A Mutawakkil
The difficult thing with democracy is that everyone will not agree with other people's amendment rights. I think the question should be: Did those comments fall under the right to free speech? If so, then they are entitled to say what they feel even thought some may find it offensive.
What gives some people the right to feel they are exempt from being talked about when they do the same thing to others? I think Jesus said it best: You without sin cast the first stone.
We have to learn to perfect our democracy by standing for our constitutional rights; and knowing that all of us have said things that were hurtful to someone but overtime we learned to correct our behavior.
I am hoping those guys will eventually come around and have a change of heart. Let's keep hope alive!
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Rasool A Mutawakkil
The difficult thing with democracy is that everyone will not agree with other people's amendment rights. I think the question should be: Did those comments fall under the right to free speech? If so, then they are entitled to say what they feel even thought some may find it offensive.
What gives some people the right to feel they are exempt from being talked about when they do the same thing to others? I think Jesus said it best: You without sin cast the first stone.
We have to learn to perfect our democracy by standing for our constitutional rights; and knowing that all of us have said things that were hurtful to someone but overtime we learned to correct our behavior.
I am hoping those guys will eventually come around and have a change of heart. Let's keep hope alive!
Minister Rasool
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Rev Ned
Are these 2 guys supposed to be famous for some great thing they’ve done for humanity?
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Patrick Alois deHertogh
My panties dont get all jammed up my butt. I dont care and the man is free to express himself. He has a right to hate love or feel neutral on any whim. Sick of hearing about the social circle jerk of the day. What exactly is a anti semite anyway. But the real thing that peeks my curiosity is why has this seem to be a issue anyway. The chinese are killing Buddhist monks is there anyone concerned. They really own nothing and control nothing. Beside The Himalayan mountains I do not believe is viewed as prime real estate. I made a off colored remark about my Irish gas station owner. Do I qualify as a racist now? Sometimes I notice women doing real stupid driving stunts and make comments to myself am I a misogynous now?? Quite Picking on the stupid stuff. You want to know who really wants to enslave you. AMA bankers financial people Soros. The other guy that digs young chicks. The political environment. Pharmaceutical conglomerates. Anyone who is filthy rich. Is this not the world of Satan? Fight them. The idiot who has a swastika on his jacket just a lost fool. I dont think there's a good reason to be alarmed. The concerns seem to mimic people magazine and that stupid Hollywood news show about celebritys TMZ. Start a petition to demand a investigation into the little black book of Epstein. Or we can keep on being the little rats fighting for that bit of cheese. Time to find peace in the woods away from the ocean of inhumanity
Maybe if people stop buying his items just maybe he will stop and think about what he doing. If people stop acting like he is God,then maybe just maybe he’ll grow up.
@Laura McAllister Highly unlikely. He's in an industry which is known for screwing the talent out of profits and for the most part it's been dominated by Jews. I suspect he found out he just get screwed again.
Credible citations needed.
@ Joe Stutler Seriously you need creditable citations? You could start with Taylor Swift and her original record contract. It’s well known in the music business artists and bands get screwed by the record companies.
As for blacks getting screwed by the record industry and the Jews who own or work for the record labels it’s even worse.
https://www.tapatalk.com/groups/express_yourself/the-white-and-jewish-men-that-run-the-major-record-t13827.html
If you need more try Googling Jewish record producers and record label owners. Then Google bands/recording artists who made very little money. There’s a very long list.
I wish I got screwed into having a 1.6 billion dollar empire at my disposal.
Credible citation needed???
The Thomas Jefferson Bible (unlike the King James Bible) enables anyone to conclude, that if the Christian God “Jesus” was a Jew — ergo (logic dictates) so was his father (the head Christian God) and by influence, so is the Holy Ghost (a Jew).
Which (logic dictates) means that everyone on Earth, can (using the Thomas Jefferson Bible — available from the Monastery bookstore) trace their ancestry back to the Jewish (now Christian) God.
Which means that even Jews can be anti semantic— especially if they don’t believe in the Holy Ghost.
Hopefully this clears the issue of credibility up, Minister Stutler.
You are inferring that because these entertainment executives are Jewish, that somehow causes them to take advantage of their clients. That’s a correlation, not a causation. In fact, it is a natural human characteristic, not a religion, to try and make the most money in any given situation. So whether these entertainment moguls were Jewish or not, does not affect their ability to take advantage of their clients. Greed is not a religion.
While I am not disagreeing with you, I'd like to point out that Jewish is not a religion either. It is a race. Hebrew is a religion.
Judaism is a religion. Hebrew is a language, and also is a label used to identify the Jewish people.
I stand corrected on the Hebrew language. My main point is that Jewish is not a religion. I am still struggling to figure if it is more ridiculous to hate a person for their race or their religion.
Loren William Kinzel, Jewish is a religion.
George, Judaism is the ethnic religion of the Jewish people.
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Jewish is a race? Loren, you are a troll... And while your boy Kanye and you are at it, Hitler wanted blacks exterminated too, and for the same reason that he wanted Jews exterminated... He believed they were inferior people (Jews) and inferiour or subhuman (blacks) races.
Oh so another anti-Semite heard from I guess...